Apparatus for severing the roving courses in linking machines



Jan. 29, 1963 E. MULLER 3,076,082

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING THE ROVING COURSES IN LINKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1'7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lM/EA/r'oE FRHAED MOLLEe A Tram/12K? Jan. 29, 1963 E. MULLER 3,076,032

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING THE ROVING COURSES IN LINKING MACHINES Filed Aug. 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

awewme 68/1420 MiiLLEe By M, 47700493 United Sttes The present invention relates to an apparatus for severing the roving courses in linking machines, especially circular linking machines for linking fabric pieces consisting of synthetic fibers.

In linking machines of this type in which the section ring progresses continuously and in which the sewing needle co-operates with a looper or with a looper and a stitcher in order to produce the looping, the work can be carried out properly only if the material is transferred in proper mesh formation so that in linking each mesh will be caught by the sewing needle. Accordingly, when link a stocking in the conventional manner, the same is transferred to the needles of the section ring in the proper mesh formation and in such a manner that a few roving courses will lie above the transfer course. This transferring requires trained operators and such accurate working that within a certain time only a certain number of meshers may be transferred, Prior to the actual linking operation, these roving courses are cut oif at a point directly above the transfer course in order to attain a flat seam. For this purpose, each conventional linking machine is operatively associated with a cutting and brushing apparatus which is mechanically driven. The brushing apparatus is provided for the purpose of brushing out the half sections of the cut meshes which are being held within the transfer course since the open ends of the meshes would otherwise project from the linking seam and would then form an improper seam.

The cutting and brushing apparatus together with the necessary means for driving the same form a rather large unit which limits the accessibility to the section ring. The cutting blade and brush of this unit are also subjected to considerable wear. Furthermore, it is still rather difficult to clean the brush continuously so as to insure that the cut meshes will be properly brushed out.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the mentioned difficulties and to provide for this purpose an apparatus which includes a severing element in the form of a wire or the like through which an electric current is conducted so as to heat the wire.

It is already known in special-purpose sewing machines to provide severing means which are adapted to sever the upper and lower threads by passing each thread through an incandescent filament or wire which is disposed around the threads so that, when the threads are to be severed, each incandescent wire is moved by special control means in a direction transverse to the length of the respective thread so as to touch the thread and thus to sever the same. These thread severing means therefore require special control means for moving the threads.

It is also already known simultaneously to sew and weld together two pieces of material by providing at the pressure foot of a sewing machine a heated point, plate, or wire which is adapted to come in contact with the cloth pieces as soon as the pressure foot arrives at its lowest position. The end of the sewed cloth pieces may then be cut at the same time.

It is a further object of the invention to utilize a severing means of the general type as previously described, for example, a wire through which an electric current is conducted, for the purpose of severing the roving courses on a linking machine. It has been found that, when apmitt ice

plying such a severing means in a suitable manner, the advantage will be attained that a clean and flat seam will be formed even when linking wild-transferred stockings which are not in proper mesh formation and are linked with a so-called two-needle machine as described in my copending application Serial No. 50,221, filed August 17, 1960. This is due to the fact that the open ends of the severed meshes will now be shortened and slightly welded to each other so that by the linking operation a clean and proper seam will be attained, even though the severed meshes have not been previously brushed out. The brushing apparatus may therefore be omitted.

As already indicated, the severing device according to the invention is especially suitable for use in a two-needle machine which permits a wild transferring since in such a machine not every mesh of a row of meshes of a stocking will be transferred to a section needle. Thus, when cutting off the roving courses at a point directly above the transfer course by means of the conventional cutting apparatus, there will be the danger that a mesh which has not been caught by a section needle may run before the linking seam can be formed which holds all of the meshes. For this reason it has previously been necessary to cut the roving courses at a point higher from the transfer course. However, this rendered a clean brushing of the cut meshes impossible so that in the end effect a bulgy, unclean seam resulted which for certain purposes had to be rejected. The cutting wire according to the invention is, however, adjusted to such a level relative to the section ring that it will already cut the meshes of the first roving course of the stocking which is being fed thereto by the continuous movement of the section ring The device according to the present invention therefore permits the roving courses also of Wildly transferred pieces of material to be cut immediately above the transfer course since the simultaneous welding effect upon the open ends of the meshes prevents a running of a mesh prior to the linking operation. Obviously, however, the electric welding device can be applied only to materials which consist of synthetic fibers, for example, in the production of sheer stockings of synthetic polyamide fibers on a caprolactam base, such a perlon, or of socks of Helanca.

The voltage or amperage required for the operation of the electric severing apparatus should be regulated so as to produce the necessary heat for cutting the meshes in accordance with the particular material of the stockings and the desired cutting speed. It is especially advisable to mount the wire exchangeably on supporting means which are fixed to the linking machine and in a manner so as to extend above and parallel to the upper ends of the section needles. The wire may be clamped between two supporting means. It is also advisable to design the supporting means of the wire so as to permit the distance thereof from the plane of the section needles to be adjustable. In order to insure that the roving courses will be straightened out before they are severed by the heated wire, it is advisable to provide the supporting means of the wire with guide plates which terminate in front of the heatable wire, and to provide a further curved guide plate behind the wire and substantially at the level of the heatable wire for guiding the severed meshes to the outside. Although it is functionally not required, it is also advisable for the greater safety of the operator to operate the severing apparatus with a low voltage by connecting the circuit passing through the heating wire to a transformer which may be adjusted at .its low-tension side to the required voltage or amperage.

These objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof 3 which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-- FIGURE 1 shows an elevation, partly in cross section, of the cutting apparatus according to the invention in its application to a circular linking machine,

FIGURE 2 shows a top plan view of a part of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of a circular linking machine in accordance with the present invention and its conventional support, and

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numeral are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, and more particularly to FIGURES 3 and 4, reference numeral 14 designates therein the driving motor for the movable parts of the circular linking machine in accordance with the present invention. Reference numeral 15 designates the machine housing resting on a pedestal or upright 17. The pedestal 17 is provided with shifting control 18, for example, a foot switch of conventional construction which controls the operation of the circular linking machine. The section link cup 16 of the circular linking machine having section needles 19 may be of the type disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No, 50,221, filed August 17, 1960, and entitled Circular Linking Machine.

A cutting wire 1 (FIGURE 1) of a thickness in accordance with its particular purpose is removably secured, for example, by screws, to two contact rods 2 and 3 which are connected by a cable 4 to a transformer 5. Contact rods 2 and 3 are mounted in a cartridge 6 which may be fitted into a contact socket 7, for example, by a bayonet lock. Socket 7 is adjustable in a vertical direction on a bracket 8 of a circular linking machine which also has a pair of guide plates 1t? mounted thereon behind wire 1 which terminate into a tunnellike double rail 11 which extends to the point 9 where the linking operation is carried out. Guide plates 10 prevent the fabric pieces from turning down above the section and they insure that the roving courses will be accurately cut off at the desired level so that they can thereafter be guided to the outside by a further curved guide plate 12. In order to be able to observe whether or not the cutting wire 1 functions properly, a pilot lamp i3 may also be provided in the circuit. 1

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiment, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a linking machine for linking fabric pieces consisting of synthetic fibers having a section ring for holding said fabric pieces, section needles mounted on said ring, and means for linking said fabric pieces, the improvement comprising an apparatus for severing the roving courses of said fabric pieces to be linked on said machine prior to the linking thereof, comprising a wire, said wire being supported above and adjacent to said needles and means for supplying and conducting an electric current through said wire for heating the same.

2. A linking machine as defined in claim 1, further comprising means mounted on the linking machine for exchangeably supporting said wire above and essentially parallel to the upper ends of the section needles of the machine.

3. A linking machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for supporting said wire includes means for adjusting the distance between the Wire and said section needles.

4. A linking machine as defined in claim 2, further comprising guide plates mounted on said supporting means for straightening up the roving courses, said guide plates terminating in front of said wire, and another curved guide plate behind said wire for guiding the severed meshes to the outside, said curved guide plate having a surface portion facing toward said wire and disposed at a level substantially equal to the level at which said wire is located.

'5. A linking machine as defined in claim 1, in which said current supply means comprise a transformer mounted on the linking machine.

6. A linking machine for linking fabric pieces consisting of synethetic fibers, comprising a movable section ring for supporting said fabric pieces, section needles on said ring, means for linking said fabric pieces on said ring, and means for severing the roving courses of said fabric pieces at a point above said needles and simultaneously welding the open ends of the meshes of said roving courses to prevent running thereof, said last-mentioned means comprising a wire arranged in front of said linking means and above said section needles, means supporting said wire on said machine including means for adjusting the position of said wire with respect to said section needles, and means for sup-plying and conducting an electric current through said wire for heating the same, said section ring conducting said fabric pieces through said severing means in the movement thereof.

7. A linking machine as defined in claim 6, further in cluding guide mean-s for straightening up said roving courses, said guide means terminating in front of said wire, and means for removing the severed meshes to the outside of said ring.

8. A linking machine for linking fabric pieces consisting of synthetic fibers, comprising a circular movable section ring, section needles on said ring, said fabric pieces being supported on said ring, means for linking said fabric pieces on said ring, and means for severing the roving courses of said fabric pieces at a point above said needles and simultaneously Welding the open ends of the meshes of said roving courses to prevent running thereof, said severing means including a wire arnanged in front of and above said section needles and essentially parallel to the outer ends of said section needles, means supponting said wire on said machine including means for adjusting the position of said wire with respect to said section needles, means for supplying and conducting an electric current through said wire for heating the same, guide means for straightening up the roving counses of said fabric pieces including a pair of guide plates arranged in front of said wire, said guide plates terminating adjacent said wire, and another curved guide plate behind said wire for guiding the severed meshes to the outside of said section ring, said curved guide plate having a surface portion facing toward said wire and disposed at a level substantially equal to the level at which said wire is located, said fabric pieces being conducted through said severing means by said section ring in the movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,912 Myer Dec. 14, 1937 2,438,156 Dodge Mar. 23, 1948 2,677,747 Jaye May 4, 1957 2,894,106 Jacob et a1. July 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 548,727 Italy Sept. 29, 1956 

1. IN A LINKING MACHINE FOR LINKING FABRIC PIECES CONSISTING OF SYNTHETIC FIBERS HAVING A SECTION RING FOR HOLDING SAID FABRIC PIECES, SECTION NEEDLES MOUNTED ON SAID RING, AND MEANS FOR LINKING SAID FABRIC PIECES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN APPARATUS FOR SEVERING THE ROVING COURSES OF SAID FABRIC PIECES TO BE LINKED ON SAID MACHINE PRIOR TO THE LINKING THEREOF, COMPRISING A WIRE, SAID WIRE BEING SUPPORTED ABOVE AND ADJACENT TO SAID NEEDLES AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AND CONDUCTING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH SAID WIRE FOR HEATING THE SAME. 